Embattled landlord arrested for probation violations

Wednesday

Jan 30, 2013 at 12:01 AMJan 30, 2013 at 6:26 PM

Sam Vazirani, the landlord who owned a Franklinton house where three people died in a fire on Christmas Eve 2011, has been arrested after a judge issued a bench warrant today for violating probation. According to documents from Franklin County Environmental Court, officials say Vazirani still controls 12 properties he was ordered to sell.

Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Sam Vazirani, the landlord who owned a Franklinton house where three people died in a fire on Christmas Eve 2011, has been arrested after a judge issued a bench warrant today for violating probation.

According to documents from Franklin County Environmental Court, officials say Vazirani still controls 12 properties he was ordered to sell.

“Mr. Vazirani has not disclosed all the properties he owns, controls and manages,” according to a statement of violations from probation officers. “It is challenging to know all the properties Mr. Vazirani has.”

According to the paperwork, 11 names that appear on property titles are really Sam Vazirani.

At one Guilford Avenue property, the tenants told officials on Jan. 14 that Vazirani was their landlord.

Franklin County Environmental Judge Harland Hale had placed Vazirani on probation through 2017.

Vazirani pleaded no contest last year to 20 misdemeanor counts for allowing people to live in a house at 90 Wisconsin Ave. that city inspectors had ordered vacated in 2009 for safety hazards.

He was sentenced and served 30 days, then was placed on house arrest. Hale released him from house arrest in September.

Vazirani told had Hale he had sold his properties. Hale told him that even those properties had to meet code.

Assistant City Attorney Bill Hedrick said more than a year in jail remains on Vazirani’s suspended sentence.